70% Dark Chocolate Tart

Salmon With Potato “Scales”

photo by Lara Ferroni (Epicurious; 2014)

Makes 8 servings

Active time
1 hour

Total time
2 hours (includes chilling time)

When the opportunity arises—as it did with this salmon—we can’t resist a little trompe l’oeil, a chance to have some harmless fun with our food, because, well, food is fun. And with Hanukkah being a particularly kid-friendly holiday, we know children and adults alike will get a big kick out of the edible potato “scales” that top these individual slabs of salmon. Your budding young chefs will love arranging the scales on the fish.Editor’s Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet’s Modern Menu for A Hanukkah Feast. Menu also includes Swiss Chard with Horseradish and Apple Fritters with Orange Glaze .

Preparation

Trim 1 to 2 inches off thinner (belly) side of salmon fillets so that remaining fillets have a more even thickness. Reserve the belly strips for another use. You will now have 2 more square-shaped pieces of salmon fillet. Cut each fillet into 4 roughly equal-size pieces for a total of 8 pieces.

Arrange fish, skin side down, on a baking sheet (or 2 dinner plates). Season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Scrub potatoes well. Cut several 1/16-inch-thick slices lengthwise from wider side of 1 potato with slicer (discard outer piece or pieces that are all peel). Stack slices of potato and cut out as many rounds as possible with cookie cutter.

Dip potato rounds, one at a time, in butter and lay slices on top of one piece of fish in an overlapping pattern (to resemble fish scales), covering surface completely. Continue cutting and stacking a few potato slices at a time and cutting and applying potato “scales” to fish in batches, until tops of all pieces of fish are coated. Lightly brush any remaining butter over scales, and chill until butter is firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with foil.

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers (dip a corner of a fish fillet into skillet to test; it should sizzle). Add 2 to 3 pieces of fish, potato sides down, to skillet. Cook until potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Carefully turn fish over using 2 spatulas and cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Carefully transfer fillets (again using 2 spatulas), skin sides down, to sheet pan. Brown remaining fillets.

Roast fish in oven until just cooked through, 4 to 8 minutes (depending on thickness; a possible visual clue—the better quality the salmon, the less likely you’ll see it—is when the white albumin in the fish exudes from the fish and begins to set).

Lamb With Lentils, Feta & Mint

(Taste, 2012)

Lentils are a useful (and filling) way to help balance the proportions of meat to non-meat on your plate. This lamb recipe uses the robust flavours of sweet roasted cherry tomatoes and salty feta and olives to make every mouthful exciting.

Ingredients

250g punnet cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil

1/2 cup (80g) kalamata olives, chopped

2 x 200g lamb backstraps, trimmed

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

400g can lentils, rinsed, drained

1 tablespoon lemon juice

150g reduced-fat feta, crumbled

1 teaspoon dried mint

2 tablespoons mint leaves

Preparation: 10 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Step 2

Toss tomatoes in 2 teaspoons oil, season and place on a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes until soft, adding olives for final 5 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, rub lamb with rosemary and 2 teaspoons oil. Season, then cook in a frypan over medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until browned. Turn and cook for a further 3 minutes for medium-rare, or until done to your liking.

Step 4

Rest the lamb, covered loosely in foil, while you warm lentils in a small pan of simmering water for 5 minutes. Drain lentils and toss with lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season.

Step 5

To serve, scatter lentils on plates, top with slices of lamb and scatter with feta, tomatoes, olives and dried and fresh mint.

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